All The Pretty Colors
by MatthewMarkLukeAndUs
Summary: What is reality? Karkat doesn't seem to know. He's confused by all these colors... Or is it just one color? He still doesn't know. But Gamzee does. And so does Dave. Possible Humanstuck AU. Possible Trollstuck AU. Possible switching between the two. Definite beautifully tortured flushed Gamkar. And then there's Dave.
1. Prologue

**A/N**: We wanted to write something strange and we did.**  
**

~Us

* * *

**Prologue**

== ?

It all started when you fell asleep in your recupercoon with not a care in the world, or worry. BUT – there's always a fucking but – this time you incidentally fell asleep with your Gog-damned mouth open. And sopor… was indeed consumed. You didn't seem to notice how _lucidly_ you were dreaming and or how often you were waking up and mixing reality with unconscious fantasy, but you didn't seem to mind either. Yes, you don't seem to mind until a rather high-pitched, yet strangely familiar, _honk_ breaches through your limbo. Stretching open your eyes, you look up through the neon green slime and can vaguely make out a dark figure – darker than the state of the room you're in. It slightly sways, not in any particular pattern or direction. You mentally chant for it to STOP. It's annoying to your very wide, yet sensitive eyes to keep up with the movement. But you can't look away. It fucking interrupted your strange and fun dreams. Unless this is still a dream. Honestly, you aren't really sure. But your eyes hurt, so you guess you're awake. And the honking is getting louder and faster. And the figure…it's getting darker. It has STOPPED swaying. Thank you. You think.

Suddenly, you feel pressure under your arms and feel yourself being lifted upwards – you can't find it in you to close your eyes, so you stare at the figure above you as it's slowly becoming clearer. But you still can't make out any details. Have you blinked yet? You don't know. But that doesn't really matter, because you just forgot what blinking was. You blame this sudden feeling of forgetfulness on the fact that you are no longer surrounded by the warm green slime that tasted _so_ acidically pleasing. You are instead surrounded by the cold musk of the room that clings uncomfortably to your sticky skin. There are also arms that seem to be holding you up. At least you imagine them to be arms, because you haven't taken the time to look yet. You've been staring down at your welcoming recupercoon since you've been snatched from it. It missed you, you could tell.

So. You look up, and you see colors. So so so many colors, and they're so pretty. You realize that the colors are smothering the arms of whoever it is holding you up and you notice the colors staining your skin as well. You don't necessarily mind – they're pretty. You even take the time to admire how nicely the mixture of bright colors compliment the gray of your skin. Oh yeah…the arms that are holding you are also gray. Hm.

A raspy chuckle rings through your ears.

"You shouldn't have eaten the sopor, Karbro."

This voice is also vaguely familiar. However, you don't take the time to place it. There's no time for that when there could possibly be more colors to discover. And there are, as your big eyes involuntarily wander up, up, and higher until you spot a splash of violet painting the contours of this stranger's face. At least you think it's a face. But, yeah, you're pretty sure it is.

The face smiles.

The face has sharp teeth. And they're painted golden.

Another pretty color. You can't help but smile in return.

"Hah," the same voice once again rasps a strange, huffy chuckle.

"…hah..hahah," you tentatively reply. Not because you're not sure if you want to laugh, but because you weren't exactly sure if you remembered how. And now that you in fact _do_ remember how, you let out another breath of laughter. Because this situation was funny as hell. Even if you didn't know why.

== WAKE UP.

You open your eyes, even though you feel as if they were never closed to begin with – strange. You feel a large, unsteady hand petting through your hair, fingers getting caught and uncaught through knots. It feels nice.

You hear a gentle hiss. Who is hissing and why?

Oh. It's shooshing. Who?

"Shooooosh…"

Apparently, you. It's working – you're calmed. But were you ever distressed? Before you can fully delve into the answers to that question, you acknowledge your sight. And: colors. They're splashed together harmoniously – they look like they're dancing. But… there are so many of them. And even though they're so pretty, why is looking at them making your heart beat faster? Why are you suddenly hyperventilating?

"_Shoooooooooooooosshhhhh…_"

The voice from before startles you suddenly. It also calms you again, which is odd. But it also makes you become aware of the fact that you are not surrounded by colors, as you once thought. Rather, you are surrounded by one color. You want to hyperventilate again, but the fingers rubbing against your scalp stop you. Calm you.

Why is there so much red?

Where did all the pretty colors go?


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

== BE THE GUY SHOOSH PAPPING.

You are now Gamzee Makara and you are currently drenched in dank blood. Some of it is dried, some of it is still wet, sticky. But that's not important right now. You are trying to calm the smaller male on your lap and while it appears to be working, he still seems restless. And he still. Has not. Blinked.

You're shaking as you have been for quite a while now. Because you understand that it's only a matter of time before Karkat regains his state of mind and starts asking questions. Questions like why the motherfuck is there BLOOD everywhere. _Everywhere._

You still don't completely know why or how or what or when or –

Breathe. You need to breathe. And you need to stop worrying about yourself – _selfish_. The real concern is Karkat. Karkat is important. Not you. It's not about _you_.

It's about Karkat.

So you continue to soothe him as best you can although, you do not necessarily _want_ him to recover soon. You need more time. You need to figure out what you're going to say.

== BE THE WITNESS OF A MASSACRE

You are now Dave Strider. And. What the actual fuck just happened. Not even with a question mark. Like whoa. Actually, scratch that. You know what the _fuck_ happened. You just witnessed all your friends being brutally murdered. It was horrifying.

But you didn't stop it. You didn't even try. You just…watched.

You stood against a wall, watching. And the more blood that was shed, the more you slowly slid down the wall to the seated position you are currently in. You haven't moved for hours. You've sat here, approximately a few meters away from the only other two breathing people in the room for the entire time. You haven't said a word; the only sounds in the room being Gamzee's shooshing and the slight chattering of his nervous teeth.

You stare ahead, not at anything in particular; not thinking anything in particular. You're suddenly taken out of your trance (what a shame, it was slightly comforting) by the newest sound of heavy, fast breathing. You zone into the two across from you and realize it's Karkat. He's hyperventilating.

You don't like the wheezing sounds he's making – he does not sound _okay_. He needs help. Maybe not your help, but definitely _not his_. This is his fault. You narrow your eyes at them.

His hands should not be on Karkat.

== BE THE GUY BEING GLARED AT

You are once again Gamzee Makara and you have no time for Strider's petty jealousy. But you still glare back. And you're pretty sure, covered in blood and all, you look a lot more menacing. But, like you said before, you have no time for this motherfucker. So you continue shooshing the IMPORTANT guy in your lap.

Karkat's tense body is slowly slackening and you know your time is almost up.

Have you thought of what to say?


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

== BE THE IMPORTANT GUY

You are now Karkat Vantas and you're still slightly on edge, but the caressing hand on your head has been helping your state exponentially. You glance towards the owner of said hand. You would like to know who it is.

By the abundant amount of unkempt black hair and long lanky limbs, you immediately know that it is Gamzee. But there seems to be something _off_. His face is stained with red. So is his neck. And his shirt. And his arms and hands and the walls. _Everywhere_.

And so are you.

All you remember is a dream of pretty colors. That's all. You have no idea why you're here or what happened. Or…why Dave is sitting across the room from you…? He looks nervous. You take note that Gamzee does as well. Maybe you should too? But you don't.

Suprisingly, you feel at peace?

You start to realize that you kind of like the color red. But as you're having this revelation you also _realize_ that there seems to be lumps of some sort of mangled masses sprawled throughout the tainted room. They look…familiar. Yes, you've definitely shaken that hand before. And you've definitely seen those lips moving, speaking slurs at you. And you've definitely seen that leg kick you to the ground at some point or another. And you _know_ you've seen that hair flicked at you. And that wheelchair…at least it looks like it was…you know you've seen it rolling around _somewhere_. Hm.

But you don't care to find out if you're right or not, because the overwhelmingly disgusting stench the masses all carry, is annoying you.

You look up to Gamzee again. Now with your newfound appreciation for the color red, he looks kind of…_pretty_. You smile coyly up at him. "Hi," you croak. Oh man, was that your voice?

Nevertheless, he smiles back, although still _nervously, _and replies with a short laugh. He weaves his long fingers through your hair more thoroughly in place of speaking.

It feels nice and you close your eyes contently.

== BE THE GUY ACROSS THE ROOM

You are now Dave Strider and you are confused as _fuckall_. You should be angry. You should be scared.

But you're not.

You're actually kind of relieved that Karkat is breathing normally and smiling. Although you hate the fact that he's smiling at _him_. You fucking hate that clown. Then again – why would you be alright with Karkat smiling in this setting? Does he not see what's around him? Does he not remember?

Shit. If he doesn't remember, that's…good. He's still innocent. And he deserves to remain that way. Because it wasn't his fucking fault.

You heedfully stand on your two legs. Oh. When did they start shaking? Irrelevant. You want to be near Karkat.

Slowly you work your way around your friends. You should win a fucking award for being able to NOT puke. Like if that kind of award existed, you would win it so hard. Like whoa.

As you inch nearer and nearer to the two bodies across from you, Gamzee's once trembling body stiffens. Is that fucking juggalo _growling_ at you? You hope he understands that you do not in anyway give one fuck. You are getting to Karkat.

Once you've gotten close enough, you cautiously (okay, so he scares you a little bit) lower yourself next to the other side of Karkat. He turns away from Gamzee and blankly stares at you for a split second before raising a bloodied hand and smearing the contents on your left cheek. He smiles. He whispers. "Pretty colors."

Then he passes out.

What.

== BE GAMZEE

Obviously you are now Gamzee. Karkat has just fallen back into unconsciousness after acting out a bit strangely. Even though you did find it kind of motherfucking adorable. You are trying so hard not to honk.

Dave is too close. You don't _like_ it. So you look up to let him know, but before you can threaten his very existence you catch a rather meaningful look in his eye. And you understand it. We need to discuss Karkat. Because he can't know. And for some reason, we're all three still here and alive. Covered in red.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

== ?

You are kind of perplexed at the moment. You are not sure whether you are awake or asleep. But the colors are back. And their amounts are even more copious. You can't help but smile. You missed the pretty colors. Although, red is quite nice on its own as well.

And then you notice – there is _no_ red amongst these colors. Why? You are now even more confused than before.

You do not have time to process your confusion though, because you are now moving. Oh yeah. Weren't there arms holding you up? Yes! You remembered. You smile again. You _like _these colorful arms carrying you, even if you do not fully understand why.

They move you through a maze of color-speckled white. You absentmindedly acknowledge that these are walls. Whose house are you in? Are you even in a house? The answers to these questions are not important. The kaleidoscope of various colors surrounding you, distract you from further inner interrogation. They twist and dance in your vision. Your wide eyes try to follow the patterns, but it hurts too much to do so. So you stop.

Your body suddenly comes to a halt and you do not understand why you are no longer moving. You're lifted higher and higher, and there is a face in front of yours.

You blink. Finally – you remember what that was.

When you open your eyes again, you recognize the face.

"Gam…" you breathe.

The face smiles adoringly at you. The face leans closer. The face kisses you. You kiss back because you like it. You like it a lot. Maybe even more than the pretty colors.

The kiss ends and you start breathing harder because you didn't want it to. But you're suddenly _shooshed _and you calm down.

"Things are gonna be okay, Karbro," you hear. And you believe it.

And then you're moving again. Wait. Where did the colors go? Everything is just white. You don't like it. White is not a pretty color. Before you can start panicking again, you remember the recent words mirthfully spoken to you.

Things are gonna be okay.

== BE THE GUY WITH BLOOD ON HIS CHEEK

You are now Dave Strider and you dread speaking. But you do anyways. For Karkat.

"He can't know," you silently croak. You're now starring into the eyes of the man you platonically hate. You wish you had your shades, but you don't remember what happened to them or if you even wore them today.

Gamzee nods robotically. You know he understands and agrees though. Because if there is one thing you two have in common, it is the importance the smaller man between you bears.

"It'll hurt him," you continue without meaning to. Your face _and_ voice falter and contort into pain at the mere thought.

"He won't know," Gamzee says with finality. His hand moves back to Karkat's head and you make it a point to ignore it.

== BE NOT DAVE OR KARKAT

You are now Gamzee Makara. And you have a plan. Unfortunately, this plan includes motherfucking Strider. Not because you want it to.

You need to leave this mess. You _all_ need to leave.

You know exactly where to go, too.

== BE THE AUTHORS

You are now the two very confusing authors and you both realize that your readers are most likely completely lost as to what in the actual fuck is going on. You decide not to necessarily explain why or how or when or where. For now, at least. But there is one vital piece of information that you two believe your audience rightfully deserves to know.

Karkat Vantas is a murderer.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

== BE DAVE

You are now Dave Strider and you are currently in a position you never thought you'd be in. Gamzee said he had a plan and that you had to follow along with it. You don't think he was asking. No, you're pretty sure he was _telling_ you.

It wouldn't have made a difference though, because he currently had Karkat in his possession and fuck if you were going to leave him alone with Gamzee. Not a damn chance.

So. You are now walking through deep woods. And…you're not exactly sure how you got here. Everything was a blur. Maybe it was the fact that you left behind the mangled corpses of your friends to rot in a house that triggered your numb lapse of memory. Maybe it was the fear you felt for Karkat, the worry. Maybe it was your uncertainty to follow Gamzee _anywhere_. You just, don't really remember.

Either way, you trek after Gamzee's long figure – the darkness of the dense woods stretching his already tall body to mimic the shape and length of the surrounding trees. Which are long as fuck. The only thing that differentiates him from the trees completely is the body he carries closely to his chest. He makes sure not to let any spiked branches brush against Karkat's skin. You'd be pleased with this, if it weren't such a morbid sight – you didn't feel _comfortable_ with his blood-stained arms holding Karkat gingerly like there were no problems. Like _nothing_ had happened. It is revolting. But you won't do anything about it.

Because you know Karkat wouldn't really _mind_ being in Gamzee's arms. And you hate that.

== BE THE TALL CREEPY GUY

You are now Gamzee Makara and you know you're close to where you need to be. Just another half-mile away before you reach your destination.

You are very well aware of Dave trailing behind you but you have not outwardly acknowledged him since you left. You do not really _plan_ to, either. You also do not really want him to _be_ here. But you realize that Karkat would want it this way – Dave was still alive, after all. And even though you don't understand why, you do know that there's a certain significance to that fact.

You are close. You make a right at The Rock and then you recognize the satisfying sound of the Nearby Creak. The flowing water eerily coos and as you walk towards it, the trees begin to open up around you to reveal the dark angled frame of a misshapen house nestled within the brush. You let out a damp breath as you feel a sudden relief wash over you.

You've made it. You've left the mess.

Things are gonna be okay.

== ?

Everything is too white. Too clean. Too, uncolorful – you don't know where all the pretty colors went. But you trust Gamzee, so you do not question. You recognize that he means to comfort you, even though _he_ doesn't recognize that the colors were nice. That you liked them.

You see someone else in the white room. Is it Gamzee? No. Gamzee is still holding you. You laugh a little at your silliness. Then, you hear the person speak and their voice sounds vaguely familiar. But you do not take the time to place it. This voice is not important. No, it's –

Wait. Red. _He_ has red – on his face. In his eyes.

You really like _red_.

== KARKAT. WAKE UP.

Your eyes are open. When did they open? Before you can answer your own question, you realize that you are no longer in the white room, or the colorful room, or the red room.

You are in a dark room. You make out the smell of burning firewood? The sound of crackling flames confirm it, but it still confuses you. Where the _hell_ are you?

You hear shuffling to your right and look down from the couch your apparently lying on. A little ways away, you see a figure crouched down in front of an old fireplace, tending to the fire. You know it's Gamzee. Even though there's something slightly off about his appearance.

"Hm."

Gamzee stops and turns his head, looking at you over his shoulder. And that's when you see it – he is not gray. And he is only stained with _one_ color.

Nothing. Is making. Sense.

Or, it does a little, but there is a blockage in your mind that refuses to let you remember or understand. You decide to worry about this later – maybe not at all. Either way, it's still Gamzee. And maybe his skin _wasn't _ever gray…maybe.

Your observations are interrupted.

== BE DAVE

You are Dave Strider, again. You don't exactly know what to make of the place you have been led too. It's big and dark and desolate. You honestly don't like it too much – it feels sketchy. Which should not be surprising considering _who_ brought you here.

You have been standing outside for a few minutes now; Gamzee and Karkat are already inside. You're not sure if you want to go in yet, but it starts raining, so you do. The interior looks like the set of some old horror film you would never watch. It smells like death and old people…which both basically smell the same. Surprisingly there aren't a lot of cobwebs. Just a bunch of broken furniture and shattered mirrors. You faintly wonder how so much of the inside came to be destroyed and how Gamzee was somehow connected to the house, how he knew of it.

Before you can fully investigate your ponderings, you spot a flickering light seeping through an open doorway to the left of the high stairwell that greets you as you step over the threshold. Obviously you walk to it. Through the opening, you find yourself staring at a decent sized parlor. You see Gamzee crouched near a fireplace, trying to manipulate the quivering flames with a poker.

"Hm," you hear a slight grouse. You immediately step into the room at the sound, noticing Gamzee turn to look towards a couch where the noise had come from. You follow Gamzee's gaze. It's Karkat. You shuffle closer and it seems that he hears you because he proceeds to lazily lull his head to the side. He looks at you. It seems he recognizes something, because his once glazed eyes brighten a little.

== BE KARKAT

You are now Karkat Vantas and… He has red – on his face. In his eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

== MONTHS IN THE FUTURE BUT NOT MANY…

You are still Karkat Vantas and you're not completely sure if you are dreaming right now. You've lost track of reality. You have a far off memory of gray, and colors. But you also have a separate memory of red, and no gray. And for some reason you feel that they took place…at the same time. But that…doesn't make sense?

You are kind of sick of feeling confused and unsure. It's annoying, so you make it a point to shove this jumble of memories away (for now), and focus on what you _do_ know.

You are currently in a rather large house. You don't know who it belongs to or why you are here. But you don't outwardly question. Because Gamzee is here…and so is Dave. And you trust them.

Being with them, though, is strange. The air is always heavy – tense. You know they hate each other. They never look the other in the eye unless it is to telepathically speak to one another. And you know that it is _always_ about you. You also know that the only reason that they are here together is because of you. They know you need them. Both. Even if you do not understand _why_ you do.

Dave doesn't wear his shades anymore. You think he lost them. But you're kind of okay with that. You _like_ the color of his eyes. It reminds you of your pretty memories.

Gamzee doesn't wear his facepaint anymore. You think he's run out. But you're also kind of okay with that. You _like_ his face. It also reminds you of your pretty memories.

And _you_…you don't really remember what _you_ look like. All you know is that you are white. Your skin is white. Your hair is white. Even your fingernails are _white_. And you _do remember _that you HATE white. But for some strange reason Gamzee is always purring, "my little white miracle," in your ear.

You do not see yourself as a miracle, but you do not necessarily mind Gamzee seeing you as _his_. Though, you can tell Dave does.

== BE THE GUY WHO FEELS LIKE A THIRD WHEEL

You are now Dave Strider. And oh my fucking God. You. Hate. Gamzee.

Why is he _always _touching Karkat? It pisses you off. But you never do or say anything about it (nothing new there). And you never try…because you know Karkat doesn't mind being touched by Gamzee. He fucking _likes_ it.

So here you've been. Stuck in a fucking _mansionette. _Watching the man you hate _be_ with Karkat. Feeling like a third wheel.

But you know you're not. You do in fact realize that you hold some sort of significance; you are alive. And you know that irks Gamzee. You love it. On top of that, you've noticed that Karkat holds a certain fascination with you. Well, more precisely, _looking_ at you – at your eyes. You're alright with that, because you enjoy looking at him too. It makes you smile.

== BE THE GUY WHO RAN OUT OF FACEPAINT

You are Gamzee Makara and you are kind of a sad motherfucker right now. Your super miraculous facepaint is gone. But at least you have Karbro. He is your little white miracle. Motherfucker's gotta be all up and being cute at all hours of the day. If you had your horns you would be honking them _so_ motherfucking hard right now.

You let out a short, guttural laugh, because you have just forgotten why you were sad a minute ago. You lazily smile. You've actually been feeling pretty good lately. You found these wicked plants outside – you've been eating them everyday, like the miracles they are.

Speaking of miracles, you look down at the small bundle of man next to you. Your long fingers are playing with his soft white hair. It's so nice. So pure.

You feel yourself slightly sobor at the sight. And when you do, you become more aware. Aware that it's not just you and him. Dave is here. You tense up a bit. You still don't like it.

A pained hiss rings through the room. You then realize that your grip on Karkat's hair has tightened, so you quickly (but gently) smooth your fingers out and pat his head in an apology. "Sorry," you murmur. He only purrs back. Which makes you smile.

But you're still…aware. You glance up and spot Dave sitting on a loveseat across the room from you – studying you. Your hooded eyes slant, only showing the aggressive glint of your dilated pupils. Are you growling? Probably.

Dave looks away, but not from your direction. He merely lowers his gaze to Karkat. And that pisses you off even more.

You don't want him here. You want him to leave. HE NEEDS TO GO.

== BE THE AUTHORS

You are now the two authors. You would like to inform your readers that you are in fact _not_ the two authors. You are a character of the story, and you will not divulge exactly who. It is not your job right now to disclose that information. Right now it is your job to write. So, in that case, you will do the complete opposite and end this chapter.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

== BE THE CRYPTIC CHARACTER WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE ACTUAL AUTHOR OF THIS STORY

You are now the author and you are politely demanding your readers to listen to a song while reading the rest of the following.

This is the song: "Tonight You Belong to Me" by Patience and Prudence.

== ?

_I know, _an echo.

_you belong_

_To somebody new_

_But tonight_

_You belong to me, _the last line lingers through the air. Everything is bright. The music is happy. The slow, merry tune rings through the atmosphere, making you feel light and airy – you feel like you're floating. You don't know where you are. But you don't really mind.

_Although, _another echo.

_we're apart_

_You are a part of my heart_

_But tonight_

_You belong to me. _You make a pleased sound in the back of your throat and the edges of your mouth are slothfully pulled up into a crooked grin. Such a nice song.

_Wait down by the stream _

_How sweet it will seem. _You're outside, and you amusingly acknowledge how the song is going along with your surroundings. Like it's telling the story of everything you are seeing.

_Once more just to dream in _

_The moonlight. _It's night. But everything is so…luminous. Like every color of every thing has it's own kind of light. You take a second to admire a butterfly that passes through your vision. It pulsates fluorescent yellows and oranges and leaves behind a vague trail of its colors in the sky.

_My honey I know_

_With the dawn _

_That you will be gone._ You hear tortured screams pierce the air, distorting the nice tune you were really starting to enjoy.

_But tonight - _they're getting louder and more desperate. You innocently tilt your head to the side in confusion. Who is screaming?

_You belong __to me. _You need to find them. So you can tell them to stop. They're ruining the song.

_Way down, way down by the stream_

_How very, very sweet it will seem_

_Once more just to dream_

_in the silvery moonlight_. Before you can try finding the source of the agonizing cries – they abruptly discontinue. You look around, trying to spot who it was. You want to thank them for their consideration.

_My honey, I know_

_With the dawn,_

_you will be gone._

_But tonight _– you look down at yourself suddenly.

_You belong_ – you lift your hands – they are gray.

_To me_ – and they are lathered in carmine.

_Just to little old me._

== GAMZEE. WAKE UP.

You blink. You carefully stand up. You are outside by The Creak. You do not _recall_ walking outside or falling asleep. You don't even remember being tired.

You instinctively look down at your hands – they lift up to meet you half way – and they are clear of anything in particular. You are confused. You look around, and notice that it's daytime and that you are alone. At least you believe you are alone, until you hear some rustling behind you. You turn around.

You see Karkat dazedly walking out of the brush. He stops when he sees you.

You feel your eyebrows furrow together, perplexed. Where did he come from?

Looking over your shoulder, you see the distant outline of the house behind you – nowhere near from where Karkat had emerged. You open your dry mouth to question him, but only manage to croak. Karkat's eyebrows furrow as well. He's picked up his pace as he walks towards you and stops inches away from your body.

"Gamzee?" he questions, voice barely above a breathy whisper.

What is he trying to ask you? Why wasn't he in the house? Why are you outside? Why don't you know where he was? Why weren't you with him?

You're breathing quickly now; panicking. Your vision is getting blurry. You feel a soft hand on your chest, and you look down to see Karkat staring at you worriedly. Why is he worried about _you_? This isn't about you. _You_ aren't important. He is.

== BE THE IMPORTANT GUY

You are now Karkat Vantas and you don't remember how you got outside or what you are doing out here. You lost yourself for a while, you believe. But then you were snapped out of your limbo by a familiar sight: Gamzee.

Why is _he_ out here too? He seems just as confused as you as he tries to speak – he fails. You move closer and closer to him until your nose is almost brushing against his chest. You don't know why you decided to stand so _near. _You just know that you like it.

You try to speak – you succeed. Oh no. He looks flustered and it's scaring you. Why is he not okay? You swiftly lift a small hand and lay it gently on his chest. You want to comfort him, but all you end up doing (or so it seems) is confusing him even more.

== BE THE ONLY GUY IN THE HOUSE

You are now Dave Strider and you have just woken up from an unfulfilling sleep. You're pretty sure you had a weird dream, but it wasn't important enough for the author to write about. You're also pretty sure that you are alone in the house, considering the lack of ambiance. You can feel your alone-ness. And you feel pretty pathetic. Well.

So. You decide to figure out where the other two you are currently living with are. Actually…more importantly, where the hell is Karkat? You freeze. Now you're worried.

You run through the house, going through stupid door after stupid door, trying to find the door that will get you _outside. _You don't realize you've found it until you are no longer indoors. As soon as you've gone through your mini revelation and let your sensitive eyes adjust to the morning sun, you spot Gamzee's figure standing a good few yards away from the house, near The Creak. This is also when you notice another short figure practically flush against him; Karkat.

Hah. No. Stop.

You're sudden disgust at their position gains you enough confidence to shout, "Aye!"

They both look at you briskly. Karkat looks shocked that you're here. And Gamzee…you're not sure. But his vacant eyes are not very reassuring to you. You actually wish he would start growling and glaring at you like before. Then, he does something terrifying.

With eyes still vacant, he smiles at you.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

== BE THAT ONE GUY

You are still Dave Strider, and Gamzee. Will not. Stop. Staring at you. Since a few days ago, when you found him and Karkat outside by the stream, he has been acting rather strangely (which is a feat for _him_). You don't necessarily see him staring at you, you mostly feel it – his hooded, empty eyes following you. And that's the thing, they're always void of emotion. It's kind of unsettling.

And when you _do_ meet his eyes…he smiles. _He fucking smiles at you._ But his eyes, they stay the same; vacant. Unfeeling. You never know what he's thinking. What he's _planning_. You've tried triggering emotion countless times, doing the things that used to gain a snarled growl. But, still, nothing. Even when you look at Karkat or get too close, all he does is SMILE. He watches your every motion, never moving his eyes – only his neck to follow you; his gestures seeming robotic.

That's the most tormenting part, though. Because you know, y_ou know_, he's calculating _something_. He's observing you for a reason. You know this. Gamzee is not at all stupid. You know this, too. What you _don't know_ is, what the fuck happened that morning outside. Whatever it was, has not changed Gamzee or his level of intelligence – what it's changed is the way he thinks of you, _what he has planned for you._

However, you're not worried for yourself – you're worried for Karkat. Because while Gamzee has been so _blank_ towards you, his clingy-closeness has only increased towards him. Whatever has caused Gamzee's shift in behavior towards you has also caused a shift in behavior towards _Karkat_. Which means, his mind is not only making new plans for _you_. And he is not only thinking of _you_ behind those glassy eyes.

You can't trust him. And, you're pretty sure, he can't trust himself either.

You do not feel that Karkat is safe. And this is, in fact, _the worse case scenario._

== DAVE. BE IN THE KITCHEN.

You are in the kitchen, obviously drinking up your (unfortunately) limited supply of AJ. It's some strange "Value" brand you only find at dollar stores. You're not sure where the stuff came from – Gamzee is the only one who has left the house since you've all arrived, and he never tells you where he goes. Actually, you never really see him leave or come back either… Stuff just appears. Your guess is that he goes shopping at night when you and Karkat are asleep, which would make sense, since you're pretty sure every police officer in the state has your names and faces memorized. They probably think you guys are dead in some ditch…or on the run for murder.

But back to the better topic; you are currently drinking the most beautiful drink in existence, albeit the cheap brand does carry a weird coppery after-taste. So here you are, just sipping away at your apple juice, when Karkat shuffles through the arched opening of the kitchen. He has a rather adorable case of bedhead. You try not to let your heart flutter at this. But when has your heart ever really listened to you?

After taking a couple drowsy steps into the kitchen, he looks up. His wide eyes acknowledge you, and his ears do this frustratingly cute thing where they slightly perk up. You don't even think he realizes that he can do that. You inwardly hate yourself even more for finding this quirk endearing.

After a few seconds of staring, his eyebrows narrow together into a scowl. And you can faintly see the Karkat from before all this shit happened. You then realize how much you missed that Karkat. AND OH MY FUCKING GOD YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TEAR UP. STOP IT, STRIDER.

Okay. Feelings officially in check. You clear your throat and say, "Sup."

His furrowed eyebrows grow more intense for a moment before they relax, and he quietly replies, "morning." He awkwardly scoots towards the refrigerator, trying not to bump into you.

One word. That seems all he's been capable of. But you can't really complain since you haven't necessarily been Social Sally lately either. Before you can continue drawing out your thoughts on that, you notice that Gamzee happens to NOT be with Karkat at the moment. This may be your only chance to attempt getting through to him.

You turn to him and watch his profile as he scans the fridge for nothing in particular. You watch as he bites his bottom lip in contemplation, and scrunches his nose as his eyes land on something distasteful. He then closes the door with slight force…only to open it again and cringe at something else that was most likely unappetizing (though, he made it seem like it was the most revolting piece of lard he had ever had the displeasure of stumbling upon – you try not to smirk at this). He silently scoffs at the contents of the refrigerator, mumbling something unintelligibly to himself and closing the door again with a bit more force than the first time. He scratches the top of his head while looking down at the floor with a perplexed expression, _the endearing little shit._

You take this time to hail his attention. "Karkat."

He looks up suddenly, facial expression unreadable. You take this as a sign to continue.

"So – wuh – eh – uhh, how'reyoufeeling?" Wow did you really just – _no one is smoother than a Strider._

Karkat tilts his head to the side a bit before tentatively replying, "I'm…fine."

"Oh. Yeah! Great. That's really good! Y'know, um. Yes." WHY ARE YOU BEING SO AWKWARD RIGHT NOW? C'mon, you need to reclaim your cool. Karkat is slowly nodding his head – an understanding gesture to imply that he does not in fact understand.

== DAVE. RECLAIM YOUR COOL.

You nervously run a clammy hand through your hair. You haven't really gotten to speak with Karkat since before you guys moved out here, so you can admit you are feeling just a tad flustered. Sliding your hand out of your hair, you take a deep breath and compose yourself. Your face turns serious and you make sure to look Karkat in the eyes – his big, wide _fucking innocent_ eyes. And your eyes, in turn, soften.

"I mean," your voice is low and careful – gentle. "…Are you _really_ okay?"

Karkat's lips slightly tremble, like he's afraid of answering. "I don't know," he whispers. And you can hear the fear and uncertainty. You wish you knew _who_ or _what_ he felt this towards. So you could make it stop.

You step forward. You are now mere inches away from Karkat, bowing your head so you can look down into his face – you always knew he was short, but standing so close, the contrast between your height and his is painfully obvious.

Karkat's lips are partially open, and still trembling. Why is he scared? You hate it. So you cautiously lift a hand up to lay on his left cheek tenderly. The gesture is more intimate than you should allow yourself to be with him. But that does not stop you, as you slightly use your thumb to brush against his cheekbone. Was your face always this close to his?

== BE KARKAT

You are now Karkat Vantas. And you really like the hand on your cheek.

Since you've woken up in this large house, you've been feeling confused and unsure about most things. And that has inevitably led you to feeling scared. Mostly of yourself. Because lately you feel like you don't quite understand _you._ Being near Gamzee all the time has helped ease some of your panic. As for the rest, you've thrown it to the back of your mind, hoping that if you ignored it, you'd stop feeling so afraid.

But now, Dave has asked you if you are _really_ okay. You just cannot find it in yourself to lie. And now Dave's hand is on your face and he's so close and you thought you only liked when Gamzee was close and you're confused again but…you're not afraid this time.

Your musings are abruptly interrupted by a dry, crackling laugh. You and Dave both immediately turn to the opening of the kitchen and freeze.

== BE THE GUY THAT FINDS THIS SITUATION JUST _SO_ MOTHERFUCKING HILARIOUS.

You are now Gamzee MOTHERFUCKING Makara and…ha…hahaha….hahahahahahahahahahahaAHHHHHHHHHHHH .

This is just _all_ _kinds_ of motherfucking funny! You woke up a few minutes ago, feeling a little strange – like you forgot why everything was a miracle. Karbro wasn't there; it made you sad. So you hazily stood to go find him. And now here you are, in the kitchen, and you've not only found him, haha, but you've _also_ found Dave. And they're standing so motherfucking CLOSE, _touching_. You can practically _feel_ the blacks of your pupils dilating, taking over the color that used to reside in your eyes. Your lips are pulled up into a crooked, quivering smile, it almost motherfucking HURTS.

The overwhelming, dark RAGE you're currently feeling boil through your system is just so motherfucking HILARIOUS! And their faces! They look so shocked! It's motherfucking PRICELESS! THESE MOTHERFUCKERS really thought you wouldn't catch them!

Hah…HAHAHahahahaHAh. You get it now, though. You GET it. You MOTHERFUCKING _understand _that dream you had. It all, ALL, makes motherfucking SENSE now.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

== BE THE AUTHOR/UNDISCLOSED CHARACTER

You would love to sit here and waste time pointing out who you clearly are, but you have no time for that. You are stressing. A lot. You were so sure your plan would work. You were so sure they would learn this time around. That they would not make the same mistakes. You were so sure that if you sent them to a new place they would forget the state of instability their minds were in. But they didn't. Your plan did not work.

== BE DAVE

You are now Dave Strider. You cannot move from your spot in the kitchen. Not because you don't want to, but because you _can't_. Your mind is as frozen as your body. The fear coursing through it will not allow you to react.

Gamzee caught you. He caught you near Karkat, _touching Karkat_. And now he's laughing with this crazed look in his eyes. And you wish you knew what he was thinking or what he was going to do.

You watch, paralyzed, as he gradually saunters deeper into the kitchen, nearing Karkat. The edges of his mouth are still pulled up in an unreliable grin – slight wheezes of laughter are escaping through his clenched teeth. You wish you could move, but your fear of his impending approach is only working to further immobilize you. Shit. He's getting closer. What is he going to do? You'll fucking kill him if he –

You suddenly feel the tips of Gamzee's fingers apply pressure to your wrist. The wrist that is attached to the hand that is currently lying on Karkat's cheek; you forgot it was still there. You let Gamzee move your hand away. It's almost like he disregards the fact that it was touching Karkat's face to begin with. He discards your hand and you let it limply fall to your side. You stare with wide eyes as he replaces the now clear area of the shorter man's cheek with his long-fingered hand – he is now touching Karkat. Why is Karkat smiling at him? He should be scared, should be terrified. But he isn't. And this bothers you. No matter how unnerving Gamzee is or how justified Karkat would be in fearing him, he still ALWAYS holds affection for him. You hate this so much.

Gamzee's head is slightly tilted and he's smiling back at Karkat. He leans down to kiss his forehead before silently rasping, "c'mon Karbro, follow me."

Karkat nods his head.

No. No no no no. No, don't go with him Karkat. You find yourself internally screaming, but you can't seem to verbally speak – you're still too stuck in your fear and shock to function.

You can only observe as Gamzee slowly begins to back away, leading Karkat with his hand still firmly placed upon his cheek. Enthralled by his gaze, Karkat follows him through the archway blindly where they soon disappear out of your sight. You want to follow. But you still. Cannot. Move.

So you're left standing here, alone in the kitchen – you don't exactly know for how long, but all your senses are on high alert. The room now feels darker than before and the cool tile floor is sending chills through your feet and up your legs. But all you can hear is your steady breathing. Nothing else. Where did they go? Where did he take Karkat?

A loud crashing has disturbed your lapse of immobility and you're running before you can even register why. And then you realize there was a scream before the crashing, a loud bloodcurdling scream of terror. And you're _so sure_ it sounded like Karkat.

You're sprinting up the stairs, taking at least four at a time, and trying not to trip over your toes. Once you've made it to the second floor landing, you know exactly where to go. Which is strange, since the screaming has stopped. But it's like instinct that pulls you to the third door on the left, down the west wing. The door is slightly ajar and you can vaguely make out movement on the other side. You open the door.

The first thing your eyes land on is a broken mirror – slight traces of red are reflecting off the shattered pieces. Blood? You move your line of vision to focus on the tall form standing beside the mirror. It is Gamzee. He looks surprised, scared even. And he's looking down at…Karkat. Karkat is sat on the floor, hands by his side. You notice one of them is bleeding. But he doesn't seem to acknowledge that fact or any pain for that matter. He looks shell-shocked – his eyes are wide and pouring tears, but his facial expression is indiscernible.

You then put two and two together. The broken mirror…Karkat's bleeding hand…his obvious state of volatility. You briskly look up at Gamzee. Anger and overall hatred narrows from your eyes.

"What the fuck did you do?"

He looks at you. But does not respond. You break.

"What the FUCK did you do!?" You're in his face now and you're pushing him violently. You're so fucking close to punching the bastard.

"YOU SHOWED HIM DIDN'T YOU? YOU FUCKING RUINED HIM!" You're pushing him even harder now; his back is against the wall. Why is this idiot not reacting? Why is he not fighting back? God! It makes you so pissed! You lift your clenched fist to hit Gamzee in the stupid fucking face, but you stop when you hear shallow breathing. You turn and look at Karkat. His breaths are labored and his face is pale.

You immediately forget about the asshole you were about to beat the shit out of. He is not important. Instead, you move to Karkat and drop down to your knees beside him. You can feel the smaller remnants of broken glass slicing through your jeans, but you ignore it in favor of trying to console Karkat. You place a hand softly on his lower back and pull his small form into an awkward side hug. You don't even give a fuck if Gamzee is here. This is all his fault. He only made the situation worse.

You don't even notice as Gamzee dazedly leaves the room.

== BE THE GUY WHO IS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING

You are now Karkat Vantas. And you remember what you look like. You are not just _white_. No. Your eyes are _red_. And you now realize that you do not _like_ the color red.

_You hate it._


End file.
